N. Korean naval vessel sank last month, reports say

PYONGYANG, North
Korea >> A North Korean naval vessel sank last month, killing an
unspecified number of officers and sailors, according to North and South
Korean media.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency
provided few concrete details, and there was no clue as to what might
have happened. KCNA said in a dispatch Saturday that the deaths came
while a submarine chaser was performing "combat duties."

North Korea rarely releases details about military mishaps or accidents.

The
rest of the dispatch was devoted to a recent visit by leader Kim Jong
Un to a "cemetery of fallen fighters." He was shown in state media
inspecting a large number of stone markers that carried photos of
sailors.

KCNA's dispatch said the incident happened in October,
but did not give a date. Photos of the stone markers released by state
media show "Oct. 13" inscribed on them.

An unidentified South
Korean military source told the South's Chosun Ilbo newspaper that the
vessel was built in the 1960s, and that its old age might have been a
factor in the sinking. The South's Yonhap news agency, citing an
unidentified source, reported that the vessel sank near Wonsan on the
east coast.

Much of North Korea's military equipment is decrepit,
but the country has a massive army and thousands of artillery pieces
deployed along its border.

The rival Koreas both claim the waters
around their western sea boundary, which is the most likely scene of any
future clash between them. North Korea disputes the boundary, which was
unilaterally drawn close to its shores by the U.S.-led U.N. Command
after the 1950-53 Korean War, and the two Koreas have fought several
bloody naval skirmishes there since 1999.

Pyongyang is also blamed
for a 2010 torpedo attack that sank a South Korean warship, killing 46
sailors. A North Korean artillery attack that year killed four South
Koreans on a frontline island.

The Korean Peninsula officially remains in a state of war because the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email commentfeedback@staradvertiser.com.

Leave a comment

Name:

Comment:

Please login to leave a comment.

loquaciousonewrote:

There are ships built in 1860 that are still plying the waters. North Korea's ship probably sank because Kim Dum Dum forgot to pay the plumber.